“The man seemed pretty calm and there was no shouting or screaming. He gave in straight away.”

The airport remained open during the drama.

An airport spokesman said: “I can confirm there has been an incident on the EK004 flight to Dubai. Police are attending. It’s not affecting the rest of the airport which remains opens.”

Passengers at Heathrow airport will be the first to undergo checks by full-body scanners.

The move came after Gordon Brown committed Britain to using the controversial technology, saying airports had to ‘go further’ on security measures following the failed Christmas day terror attack on a transatlantic passenger jet.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian charged with the Detroit bombing attempt appeared in court last night AA grand jury indicted Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, on six charges, including the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253.